Magic Wok Part II

Our first visit to Magic Wok was actually not bad.

Kinda mixed reviews I guess but it had been quite a long time since we visited so we figured maybe it was time for another shot. So we happened to be in the area with my Mum and Dad and decided to stop for some dinner.

Tom Yam Seafood Soup ($8.80)

Magic Wok we guess seems to be a primarily Thai cuisine based restaurant and that means they've gotta have some pretty mean Tom Yam Soup right? Cos that's like THE Thai dish we gotta have when we wanna have Thai food!

Well, the Tom Yam was not bad at all!
Packo with seafood like fish, prawns and squid plus other goodies like mushrooms this was actually quite tasty too we have to say!

So it's not as spicy as you might like your Tom Yam to be but at least the flavour is there.
Maybe you can tell them to make it more spicy when you order if you'd like.

Hotplate Black Pepper Beef $8.80)

Here's another dish we were pretty impressed with. The Black Pepper Beef is served still sizzling hot and bubbling on a hotplate! A must have for all you people who have gotta have the steaming hot!

The beef was actually really tender too and great black pepper flavour. In fact the black pepper flavour was actually a little bit more spicy than the Tom Yam Soup!

On top of that, we think the price actually really makes it worth it too especially if you're sharing.

Kailan with Beef ($8.00)

Yeah I know you're probably going "Another beef dish??" but hey we love our meat okay. LOL
Plus this is technically a vegetable dish. Sort of.

The vegetables were fresh and generous (check out those mushrooms!!) and the beef was tender.
But this dish was really lacking in flavour. Maybe it was a lack of sauce?

We were expecting more of like an Oyster Sauce kinda flavour to come through but it wasn't there. Even if this was a dish that was just simply fried with garlic, they should still have put some more seasoning because this was really really bland.

Thai Fried Baby Squid ($8.80)

This is a dish we had during our first visit... And it seems.... different...

Okay so the flavour was not bad (cos I'm a sucker for Fried Baby Squid) but the dish was definitely different. A case of inconsistency for sure!

The squid was slightly overfried which means they were a little bit tougher than you'd like (you know what I'm talking about right) and the lack of sauce (as you can see from the comparison pic) meant it was a little on the dry side. And where's the pineapple? Definitely better the last time we visited.

But hey. I still whacked the whole thing until finished (cos I'm a sucker for Fried Baby Squid).

Pat Thai ($4.80)

So my Darling Wife and I had plain white rice with our dishes but Mum and Dad decided to share a plate of noodles and when we say Thai noodles, it's gonna be Pad Thai (which also happens to be Mein Bruder's favourite by the way).

Well, comments is that the noodles were a bit bland. I guess you could mix up the chilli and add in some soy sauce if you want but hey you shouldn't need to do that right? Well, definitely another dish that could perk up with some extra seasoning. In the meantime, eat with chilli padi for extra kick!

Adam's Verdict:
Tom Yam Seafood Soup 3/5 -- Hotplate Black Pepper Beef 4/5 -- Kailan with Beef 2/5
Thai Fried Baby Squid 3/5 -- Pat Thai 2/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Tom Yam Seafood Soup 2.5/5 -- Hotplate Black Pepper Beef 4/5 -- Kailan with Beef 2.5/5
Thai Fried Baby Squid 3/5

Zain's Verdict:
Tom Yam Seafood Soup 3/5 -- Hotplate Black Pepper Beef 3/5 -- Kailan with Beef 2/5
Thai Fried Baby Squid 2/5 -- Pat Thai 2/5

Asmah's Verdict:
Tom Yam Seafood Soup 2.5/5 -- Hotplate Black Pepper Beef 3/5 -- Kailan with Beef 1/5
Thai Fried Baby Squid 1.5/5 -- Pat Thai 2/5
So it seems like Magic Wok is not a bad place to go for some good makan. Most of the dishes seem pretty good (just hope they cook it consistently!!) Definitely a place you can visit for a quick fix of Thai inspired food.

Magic Wok

Downtown East
1 Pasir Ris Close
#03-101



Tel: 6582 8928

Operating Hours:
11.30am til 10.00pm Daily

The Manhattan FISH MARKET: New and Bolder!

I'm sure you have all seen the teasers we have been leaving for you on our Facebook and Instagram pages right? Well, they have all been leading up to this!!

The Manhattan FISH MARKET launches 43 New and Bolder Sea-lections (see what they did there?) which means more tasty makan for us and a wider selection to choose from so that everyone can find something they'll like!

Yes. You read right. That's 43! FOUR-THREE!! Power right!!
The Halal Food Blog Team was honoured to be invited to take a sneak peak at the goodies that are in store for us! Let's take a look at some of them!!

Oyster Roulette ($7.95)

Image courtesy of The Manhattan FISH MARKET

In the appetizers department, all your oyster lovers are in for a treat!
They have a new appetizer called Oyster Roulette and the concept is interesting!

You guys know about Roulette right? Where it's a game of chance to see who's the 'lucky' one?
Well, you're served with 4 poached oyster shooters in a bed of ice. These poached oysters are bathing in a spicy chilli concoction. The catch - 3 of them are mild but 1 of them is the super spicy one!

Besides a great idea to spice up your dining experience with friends and family, the oysters are amazingly fresh too and the chilli 'sambal' here is pretty tasty too!

But for all you 'hantu chilli', not to worry. You can ask them to make all 4 the spicy type if you'd like or vice-versa if you don't feel like burning your mouth off. LOL

Onion Glory ($7.95)

One of my personal favourites of all the dished we tried that evening was something they called 'Onion Glory'. Seriously so good!

It's a big onion which has been individually peeled off slice by slice and then coated in a special crispy batter and then it achieves full deep-fried glory!

The outer coating is super crispy and tasty with some special seasoning! Maybe it's just me but I'm a sucker for this kind of thing but I'm sure all you onion lovers are gonna love this too. And don't worry about having 'onion breath' later this is a good quality white onion so you can enjoy the flavour without too much problems later on!

It's served with kind of like a ranch dip which goes perfectly with the deep-fried onion slices!
I could honestly finish off a serving all to myself!

Ocean Gems ($5.95)

If you're the type that likes to start with a salad before the big dishes arrive, then maybe you'll like the Ocean Gems which gives you a salad with a little bit of extra bite to get your meal started.

Nice crisp lettuce, cucumber, carrots, bell peppers and this is all mixed in with some prawns and also some plump and juicy scallops! The seasoning is on the tangy side which gets your tastebuds up and going and the fresh seafood give you a nice texture with the fresh veggies.

Okay? Ready for the mains? Here we go!

Curry Hill Seafood ($16.95)

So this is a curry dish inspired by Murray Hill (in Manhattan, New York) which apparently is the place to go to for Indian cuisine in that area.

You've got a slipper lobster, some fish slices and also some succulent mussels all cooked together in a curry which is sure to get some of you going for more and more. The curry is expectedly a fish curry since it IS a seafood dish and it has quite a zing to it too!

Oh they also have a Tiger Prawn version ($14.95) if you're a prawn person!

Served with some battered vegetable (kinda like a tempura style) and also some baguette for you to soak up all that curry!!

Ocean Perfect Perch ($15.95)

All you Sambal Fish lovers (like me) are gonna jump for joy with this dish.
One of the dishes I absolutely LOVE to order when I visit The Manhattan FISH MARKET is the Crispy Whole Barramundi which is a whole fish deep-fried and smothered with fiery spicy sambal.

Well, if you're not into digging into your fish and dodging the bones and such, this is a perfect choice for you because the Perch is already filleted and just just have to enjoy!

Served with some rice and some veggies to give you a perfect plate or rather a Perfect Perch!
PS yes the sambal has a spicy kick to it!!

Fishy Chicky Bang Bang ($13.95)

Okay now let me tell you about Fishy Chicky Bang Bang (which also happens to be my fave dish that evening by the way).

So after hearing the name, you're probably thinking "Is it Fish or is is Chicken?" and when I tell you it's actually BOTH FISH AND CHICKEN you're gonna go "No lah cannot be!!" right right?

Top layer Chicken, Bottom Layer Fish

So the top layer is actually a fried chicken fillet which was sheer perfection I tell you. The batter was crispy just the way we like it and the chicken meat so succulent! The bottom layer is dory fillet and these two are joined together in holy gastronomy by melted Cheddar cheese!!

Now if that doesn't get you I don't know what will because this was THE BOMB!!

And as if I wasn't impressed enough, they added this beautiful sunny side up egg resting in a nest of fried spaghetti! Talk about showing off some skill!

The final main we have here features one of the signature trademarks of The Manhattan FISH MARKET and I'm taking about something that's sure to 'light' things up geddit geddit?
(Yeah I know I know enough of the lame jokes right? Okay let's go!)

Flaming Cheesy Baked Rice ($15.95)

All you baked rice lovers are gonna have a field day with this one.
Imagine a fresh Dory fillet that rests atop a bed of herb rice. And then imagine some cheese added to the mix there. And then we torch the bugger!!

The result is fantastic!! (Or as they say in these parts - FIN-tastic!)

Dig into a great steaming dish of deliciousness. Great flavours and you're gonna love this if you love cheese. And we can see it takes great skill to handle that torch okay one wrong move and it's toast but they obviously have the professionals over here because this was perfect!

So right about now you're probably thinking about dessert am I right?

Strawberry Flamin-go ($4.95)

Here's a dessert they actually use the torch on (for the marshmallows on top!)
You've got a chocolate sauce right at the bottom which you have to dig through some mango pudding for. You've got some fresh mangoes and strawberries in there too!

And of course, finish off with some marshmallows for a sweet finish!
And at that super price, this is a steal!!

Super Fruit Crumble ($4.95)

I actually quite preferred this one. Maybe I'm a sucker for ice-cream!

This is, to put it simply, an Apple Pie in a glass!
It's got the yummy crumble right at the bottom which like the apple pie crust and then you've got tasty apple sauce (with apples) all topped off with some cool Vanilla ice-cream.

Don't even let me start on how tasty this was. Apple pie and Vanilla ice-cream is one of the best combos ever and now you can have it all in this nifty little glass!

Lemongrass Cooler ($6.00)

I love Lemongrass aka Serai and absolutely don't mind it in a drink at all.
This is a refreshing beverage that gives you the great flavour of lemongrass infused with lychee, Camomile tea and even some Aloe vera in there too.

Super refreshing and a great beverage to go along with the food you're gonna enjoy.

To be honest, I had a hard time choosing which drink I was gonna have but this one won! In a close 2nd place was the delicious-sounding 'Melon Breeze' which is a strawberry, watermelon and lemon mocktail! Sounds good right?

Well, besides the dishes we have covered here, there are also some other items on the menu that are definitely interesting and tasty enough to have a mention.

Icy Hot Fish Bananas ($7.95)

You wanna talk interesting then you've gotta mention the Icy Hot Fish Bananas.
Oh yeah it's bananas coated with fish paste  and deep fried to perfection. Top that off with some Vanilla ice-cream and strawberries!

Definitely one that we're gonna try when we head back to The Manhattan FISH MARKET soon!

Volcano Island ($40.95)

We know how much you guys love your platters and here's one to reckon with!

The Volcano Island includes a serving of Curry Hill Seafood (choose from Slipper Lobster or Tiger Prawns), fried scallops, spicy poached Dory nuggets and Volcano Mussles served with Garlic Herb Rice and also some baguette too!

Great for sharing1 Especially if you were planning on trying the Curry Hill Seafood so now there's something for everyone at great value too!

Well, not only have they updated their menu, The Manhattan FISH MARKET has in fact added 43 new dishes to their menu which mean 43 new flavours for you to check out. We've only covered a few here and we're already counting the days til we visit again!

The new menu launches TODAY 12 November 2014 so makes plans and head down to The Manhattan FISH MARKET ASAP to enjoy their new delectable offerings!

A special shout-out to new friends we met while dining at !The Manhattan FISH MARKET!!
Big up to Swee Geok from Make Your Calories Count and Meiling from Universal Scribbles! Check out their blogs by clicking on their names there okay!!

The Manhattan FISH MARKET

16 outlets islandwide
www.manhattanfishmarket.com

Operating Hours:
Varies with different outlets

Fara's Restaurant - Malacca Lok Lok Steamboat Buffet

Oh you guys won't believe how long we have waited to make our way down to try this.
And finally, the time has come! Here's the Malacca Lok Lok Steamboat Buffet at FRC!

So some of you are probably going "Errr... what's Lok Lok?"
Well, it's basically kinda like a steamboat/hot pot where you get to dunk and cook food in soup/gravy and boy oh boy it can get really fun and filling!

It's really popular in Malaysia (especially Malacca like duh). But you'd be surprised how difficult it is to find a Halal one even across the Causeway! When my Darling Wife and I visited Malacca awhile back, we found out we would have to travel about half an hour by cab just to reach the nearest Halal Lok Lok joint there. Hmmm.....

Well, we don't have to go so far now because we can get it without having to chop passport or pay expensive toll charges LOL

So the Lok Lok Steamboat Buffet is available only on weekends at Fara's Restaurant in Sentosa.
Before you start commenting stuff like "Aiyah all the way to Sentosa??", let us remind you that you probably can't get this anywhere else as close by. Anyways after you see the picture maybe you will see why it's worth it to make your way down.

As you can see, it's a Kampong-style thing going on at Costa Sands (Imbiah Walk) and you'll be eating literally in nature so you really get into the atmosphere. Al Fresco dining!!1

When you get there, the first thing you need to do is choose your soup/gravy favours and you have 4 to choose from... Satay, Laksa, Tom Yum and Chicken.

Satay and Tom Yum

Laksa and Satay

So we tried the ones that we figured we'd like the best.

The Satay is the one traditionally associated with Lok Lok Steamboat so that was a must. We could see why this was the staple at all Lok Lok places. There's just something about dunking food on sticks into Satay gravy that rocks! The gravy was tasty and the right consistency too! I was a bit worried that it would be too thick but not at all! You can even drink it as a soup!

The Laksa was pretty nice too! A great flavour that actually makes you wish you were having actual Laksa LOL but you're having Lok Lok Steamboat okay so don't get carried away.

As usual, we are somehow firm followers of Tom Yum and the Tom Yum soup here was super. Most people will probably choose Tom Yum too and it's little wonder why with a great tasting soup here at FRC. And the more and more you dunk stuff in, the tastier it becomes!!

So what exactly are we dunking?

Prawns

Fish Balls

Hot Dogs and Spicy Fish Cakes

Fish

Assorted Crab Meat

Sotong

Otah

Cocktail Sausages

Beef

Something for the kids!

Don't feel bad about eating the little faces LOL we've seen some variations like Star shapes and the lot but the kids are definitely going to love it! Something fun for them to enjoy!

There's also other stuff we didn't get to photograph because we were too busy stuffing our faces.
Chicken meat and Quail eggs are good examples. I think Quail eggs already we can whack 200.

And don't worry, there's other stuff too not just protein!

Assorted Mushrooms

Assorted Tofu

Assorted Veggies

I know that Veggie Bouquet looks too pretty to eat but you gotta have at least 2 servings of vegetables a day so please don't feel bad and eat your veggies!

They also have some stuff that you don't have to dunk or cook in the soup by the way. These are foods already prepared so just pick it up and eat it.

Mee Goreng

Nasi Goreng

Most of the time when we see Mee Goreng and the sort at a buffet, it's just a filler and not really that good but the Mee Goreng here was excellent! Kept going back for more when I should have been concentrating my efforts on the Lok Lok Steamboat! LOL

They've also got other cooked food (best part - it's fried!) for you to chomp down on. you could eat them as is with some sauce or you could even dunk them for a bit in the Lok Lok Steamboat!

And speaking of sauces....

They have 3 special dipping sauces for you and they keep in the style of the Asian spicy flavours we all know and love so much. But please pardon the picture quality... shaky hands cos too hungry!!

Right on top you have a Chili Kicap kind of concoction which had a bit of tang to it and was definitely on the spicy side! In the middle was a special mix of Sambal Belachan for all you Belachan lovers. Last but not least was a Sambal Tumis.

So how exactly does it go besides choosing which foods you wanna dunk into the Lok Lok Steamboat anyways?

So you remember we chose our stock right at the top right?
Choose between Satay, Laksa, Tom Yum and Chicken stock! And don't forget - You can choose up to 2 because they have a double steamboat thing going on.

Next, you  put your food in, let it simmer up a little bit and you dig in!

Looks good right? Tastes great too!
It's a simple idea and it's fuss free eating! Just choose, dunk and then devour! And it's really fun too! I'm sure you all agree it's always a bit more fun when you're cooking your food at the table and getting to eat it fresh and piping hot!

And if the pictures are not enough to entice you...

 
That's surely got to get your appetite running right!!!

After after a whole evening of stuffing your self with so much yummy food, if you still have space, then tuck in to some of the desserts they have there!

Even the drinks are served old-school style!!

I'm guessing that all the food you see above (both for the Lok Lok Steamboat and assorted food/desserts) are probably on a rotational basis. That means you might have a few different items depending on the weekend you visit but what's important to note is that the food will always be fresh and you'll always have a choice of which of the 4 Lok Lok Steamboat soup bases you'd like to enjoy!

Even if you drop by on a weekday or the weekend afternoons, they have an ala carte menu which you can enjoy in the air-con section of the restaurant! Spoilt for choice!

Prices are:
Adult - $29.90+

Child - $14.90+

Sentosa might be a bit of trip from the mainland but hey it's still better than traveling across the causeway am I right? Go early in the day and make a day trip to Sentosa with the family. And in the evening, make your way to FRC and enjoy some Lok Lok Steamboat to reward yourselves! If you're lucky, can catch the weekend fireworks display too!

And who knows, if we are lucky enough, they might open one on the mainland too!
Let's show our support and enjoy some Lok Lok!

Fara's Restaurant and Catering

30 Imbiah Walk 
Costa Sands Resort
Sentosa

Tel: 6274 9963
www.farasrestaurant.com
www.facebook.com/frcdining

Operating Hours:
8am til 11pm Daily

Lok Lok Steamboat only available on
Saturdays and Sundays 6pm til 10pm